DA does not support motion of no confidence in Ramaphosa - for now

President Cyril Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa

Published Aug 17, 2022

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Cape Town - The DA said yesterday it did not support other opposition parties in their bid to for a motion of no confidence (MONC) in President Cyril Ramaphosa at this stage.

This comes as eight opposition parties announced their plan to request such a motion, following metings held over the past two weeks.

In a statement, DA national spokesperson Siviwe Gwarube said it remained their view that the Section 89 Inquiry process, which was initiated by the ATM, should be given the requisite time and runway to be properly exhausted in Parliament.

“This is an historic moment in the National Assembly where Parliament has, through the newly adopted rules, given effect to the spirit and prescripts of Section 89 of the Constitution.

“Parties now are engaged with nominating candidates for the independent panel that will ascertain the veracity of these allegations against President Ramaphosa,” Gwarube said.

She said the DA would be following the Section 89 Inquiry process closely.

“Crucially, we believe moving a MONC simultaneously with the Section 89 Inquiry will undermine the results we seek from this process - holding President Ramaphosa accountable and ensuring that Parliament does its oversight work in this regard. Additionally, it would signal that we have no confidence in the impeachment process which has now been initiated.”

Gwarube said while MONC and a Section 89 Inquiry would hold Ramaphosa and his executive to account in different ways, they ought to pursue the grave allegations around the Phala Phala farm vigorously.

She the DA would continue exploring its options - both legal and parliamentary -, on the issue of establishing the ad hoc committee in Parliament.

“This is important because it is the only way we can ascertain the facts around what appears to be a grand cover-up by the president and those who are connected to him on this matter.

“An ad hoc committee will have the powers to summon witnesses, conduct oversight and truly uncover the facts that are being hidden behind processes.

“This is why we intend to challenge the Speaker’s ruling in this regard,” Gwarube added.

She said it was not uncommon for parties to agree on broad principles of accountability and transparency but differ on how they pursued them.

“As the DA we are seeking to use the avenue of the ad hoc committee and the Section 89 Inquiry to get to the bottom of the grave allegations facing the president before we can consider a Section 102 Motion of No Confidence.

“We remain committed to working with the various opposition parties in Parliament,” she said.

Gwarube said the DA believed a strong opposition was crucial for a healthy democracy.

“That is why we are in agreement with the collective about using Parliament as the vehicle to pursue the truth on this matter and bring those who have broken the law to book.”

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DACyril Ramaphosa